OT: Read a book! - Page 5

deccan · #41 July 15th, 2003, 12:58 PM

That Harry Potter thread prompted me to revive this thread. What are your favorite science-fiction and fantasy novels and why?

Warning: this post reflects my personal opinions and tastes only.

I've read the standard fantasy fare when I was younger, Tolkien, Zelazny (Amber), Le Guin (Earthsea), Ann McCaffrey (Pern), Moorcock (Elric of Melnibone, Dorian Hawkmoon), even some of the Weis and Hickman AD&D stuff, which I think is really awful.

These days however, I really can't stand the standard high fantasy stuff, though in moments of weakness that embarass me, I sometimes still feel compelled to buy Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" stuff.

I haven't read many science-fiction novels, though that's what I'm mostly interested in these days in fiction. I'm more of a fan of the short story format. I recommend Asimov magazine to such fans.

One author I really would like to plug is Australian Greg Egan. His stuff just blows me away through the sheer richness of his imagination. This is real hard science-fiction though and not for the faint of heart. Egan's stuff is neither plot driven nor character driven. It's purely idea driven and for me this epitomizes the best of what SF means.

http://gregegan.customer.netspace.net.au/

Unknown_Enemy · #42 July 15th, 2003, 02:11 PM

Lots of good and great SF authors I like very much in that thread.

Just my 2 cents, Ian Banks and Hamilton deserve a much better place.

Ian Banks because no SE4 fan can miss any of his Culture books.
Hamilton for his Night's Dawn books which set a standard of SF human civilization. Voidhawk : did anyone said "organic manipulation" ?

Then I'll spit against one author : Hubbard. Not for what he believes, which is really not my problem, but for his books which were nowhere near my standards for suspens and surprising story. I mean, How can you like his books after reading Banks and Hamilton ?
Question of taste maybe.

dogscoff · #43 July 15th, 2003, 05:50 PM

Banks is an absolute joy to read, and rates as my number one all time sci-fi author (in fact, any genre) so far. I have "Use of Weapons" sitting on my bookshelf at the moment, unread, taunting me. I'm resisting the urge to read it next though, I'm saving it for when I really need it. Does anyone else do this? Save up good books like this? I call them my "emergency books". For example I recently read Hardy's "A Pair of Blue Eyes" and hated it (awful beginning & middle, quite a good ending.) By the time I had drudged through to the finish I was in serious need of some decent reading and had to indulge myself with an emergency book. ("Consider Phlebas", Banks again)

I recently acquired a small sci-fi collection from my Dad, most of it written in the 50s and 60s, and had a few books of my own unread as well. I've also just done a bookswap with a friend of mine, so my "unread" shelf is currently at 30 or more titles which will keep my busy for months.

Anyway, I've just finished 20,000 leagues under the sea which is over a hundred years old but holds it's own against much modern scifi, imho. That's my recommendation of the week.

Right now I'm ploughing through "The Illustrated Man", a collection of Ray Bradbury's short stories. It's OK, but I keep finding myself thinking "Asimov is better."

Thermodyne · #44 July 15th, 2003, 06:03 PM

I have never read much fantasy other than some Conan books back in my school days. But I read lots of scifi and techno thrillers. Clancy and Cussler are great although I do miss Dirk Pitt in Cusslers later work. The Foundation trilogy is the only book I ever read twice, back to back. I did not enjoy the later Foundation books as much. There is a guy named Turtledove who does scifi/fantasy and alternate history. When he mixes alternate history with scifi, he is great. His invasion of earth by the Race (lizards) was a great series. I would highly recommend him as an undiscovered writer.

Thermodyne · #45 July 15th, 2003, 06:08 PM

Here's a link to his web site

http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/turtledove.html

The guy looks like he'd fit right in around here

Erax · #46 July 15th, 2003, 06:17 PM

I started reading SF pretty much in the order it was written. I began with Jules Verne as a kid, then moved on to H.G. Wells. From there I was ready to tackle my dad's SF collection, which had quite a bit of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and Bradbury, along with other authors. I'd go through a 'Niven phase', then a 'Philip K. Dick phase', and so on. I don't read as much SF these days, but I read a LOT of it as a teenager.
Clarke is my all-time favorite SF author.

My fantasy collection began with Tolkien, which I read at 11. I'd say it spoiled me - for years I couldn't find anything to compare with his work, but finally I found the Dying Earth series by Jack Vance and 'Magician' by Raymon E. Feist.

I also went through a 'Lovecraft phase' a few years back and I recommend anything by him or by Robert Bloch.

I started reading Terry Pratchett (he's in a Category all by himself) in 1988 and haven't stopped since.

My wife is a big Stephen King fan and I've read some of his books. Not one of my favorite authors but he's got great characters and gives me a good window into American culture. His 'On Writing' (nonfiction) is good reading if you intend to become a writer.

geoschmo · #47 July 15th, 2003, 06:18 PM

IMHO Hubbard was just too caught up in the whole series thing. A good sci-fi series is one that develops over time, like Foundation which was originally never intended to be more then one book if I remember corectly. The invasion Earth series might have even made a really good trilogy, but forcing ten books out of it from the begining was a huge mistake. There just wasn't that much idea in the idea.

I like Turtledove as well. Guns of the South was a really good story if you are into the alternate history stuff like I am.

Geckomlis · #48 July 15th, 2003, 06:49 PM

I have been re-reading CJ Cherryh’s Alliance-Union and Foreigner books this summer - always a joy.

A selection of non-fiction books:
(I am a history of technology enthusiast)

The Japanese Merchant Marine in World War II
Mark P. Parillo

Aircraft of the Second World War: Development of the Warplane, 1939-45
E. R. Hooton, Philip Jarrett (Editor)

Shipping Revolution: The Modern Merchant Ship
ALastair Couper

[ July 15, 2003, 17:49: Message edited by: geckomlis ]

Erax · #49 July 15th, 2003, 07:08 PM

How could I have forgotten... I also read the seminal cyberpunk novels : Islands in the Net and Neuromancer. Snow Crash is also quite good (wild, butgood).

Thermodyne · #50 July 15th, 2003, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:

I like Turtledove as well. Guns of the South was a really good story if you are into the alternate history stuff like I am.

I loved that book. Went so far as to load up 60 rounds of 7.62x39 with black powder to see if an AK would fire them. Couldn't hit much with them, but it fired all 60 without a stoppage. Man what a mess it was to clean when I was done.